105th Hunger Games
by QueenOfCrazy
Summary: Welcome to the 105th Hunger Games. Get ready for the most gruesome, intense and amazing Games yet. Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favour.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi people, **

**I've seen this done like a thousand times and I've never tried it but I thought it might be fun so I'm doing an open Hunger Games!**

**Submit your tributes and I promise I will make them into the most awesome characters ever. I will make them seem like real people, as Real as Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, Clove, Cato, Foxface or any of them.**

**Send me a PM with the info about your tribute I ask for and I'll put them in.**

**Okay so here's what I need:**

**Name:**

**Age:**

**District:**

**Taken any tesserae? If so, how many?**

**Appearance:**

**Personality:**

**District token(This one is optional, if you don't have any ideas then I'll try and come up with something):**

**Background info:**

**Family/Friends/People who care back home:**

**Tragic events/loss of loved ones in past:**

**Favoured weapon:**

**Strengths:**

**Weaknesses:**

**What's your strategy to win?**

**Any ideas on your chariot outfit/Interview costume/Reaping outfit? What?(Another optional, if you have an idea, tell me, if not then I'll see what I can come up with)**

**Who comes to say goodbye to him/her before they went to the Capitol? What did they say?**

**Okay, Thanks and I can't wait to start.**

**If you want continued participation with your tribute, like a say in what happens to them and what they do then I'm happy to oblige.**

**Before anything, I want to say I'm sorry about murdering your tributes but it has to happen.**

**XOXO,**

**Lots of love,**

**PrincessKitana**


	2. Tribute Updates!

**Taaa Daaaa!**

**Here it is the final list of tributes!**

**I'm really sorry if I didn't use your tribute. I'm also really sorry if I kill your tribute.**

**Thanks for being so understanding, Here it is:**

**Tributes:**

**District one:**

**Female- **Lexi Miller

**Male- **Julian Devereux

**District two:**

**Female- **Roseabella "Rose" Samson

**Male- **Saler Royals

**District three:**

**Female- **Venus Blonsky

**Male- **Jacob Fields

**District four:**

**Female- **Aria Carter

**Male- **Reynie "Ren" Mouldon

**District five:**

**Female- **Nan Weatherall

**Male- **Storan Yilop

**District six: **

**Female- **Mia Blaikely

**Male- **David Lefont

**District seven:**

**Female- **Shay Auburn

**Male- **Aspen Willkins

**District eight:**

**Female- **Agility "Aggie" Greer

**Male- **Knox Cole

**District nine:**

**Female- **Bishop "Bish" Grosvenor

**Male- **Christian Phoenix

**District ten:**

**Female- **Jocelyn "Accalia" Bennet

**Male- **Jayson "Jay" Hale

**District eleven:**

**Female- **Ever Blossom Drey

**Male- **James Austin Mocking

**District twelve:**

**Female- **Arabella "Dawn" Hathaway

**Male- **Light Donovan


	3. District one reaping

**District one:**

**Lexi Miller**

I woke up that morning and took a deep breath in. I knew what day it was and it frightened me. I didn't like to admit it but I was scared.

There was also the better side of the reaping day, I got to wear a nice dress and afterwards we would have a feast.

This was my third reaping. I was starting to get used to this. But I wondered if any one ever really got used to this.

I knew that everyone had a chance of being reaped.

My sister, Amy, had been reaped when she was still of the age. Someone had taken her place. She was grateful to that person. Amy had been married only days before she was reaped.

I couldn't imagine his pain if she was killed. I couldn't imagine my own.

I threw the sheets off me and walked across my room. No one else was awake yet, I didn't think.

My parents were still sleeping. I missed Amy. I missed when she lived with us.

There was a tap at my window.

"Lexi!" Someone hissed from outside.

I walked over to the window. Standing outside my house were my three best friends; Faith, Paul and Michelle.

I changed into a skirt and a sparkly pink top, I slipped on some plat heeled shoes and went outside.

We all hugged each other. While the chances that we would be reaped were small, we were all still nervous.

"Have you got a new Reaping outfit?" Michelle asked, trying to keep our minds off the reaping itself.

That got my mind off it. I had gotten a nice new sparkly pink dress and pink high heels this year. I loved clothes and hair and fashion. It was who I was. I was girly but that didn't mean that I couldn't handle myself because I definitely could. I'd been trained my entire life just in case I went into the Games.

Spears, knives and traps are my specialty.

The four of us had trained for this, just in case.

Michelle and Faith both dived into detailed descriptions of their reaping outfits this year. When they had finished and I had a very clear picture of it I told them about my dress. The sighed in envy. Paul just listened to us. He didn't know what to say but we loved having him there.

People were starting to wake up and get ready. The reaping started at two. I wondered what the time was now…

"I'd better get going." Faith said. "I need to start on my hair."

"Yeah, me too." Michelle said.

"I'm gonna go eat something before we have to go." Paul said.

We hugged and said our goodbyes. This was the last time we would be together before the reaping.

I had felt like this the last two times I'd had to go to a reaping. I felt like maybe I wouldn't come back but no, today I had to be cheerful. I was cheerful.

I skipped back inside. My parents were at the table, eating breakfast.

"Morning." I sang.

"Morning, Love." My mother said, kissing me on the head. "Eat something, then you need to bathe and I'll do your hair."

I smiled at that. If nothing else, I loved reaping day because I got to get all dolled up.

I ate the food that was given to me and scrubbed away the dirt. My wet brown hair was up in a towel.

I sat in front of my vanity and my mother dried my hair and carefully tugged a brush through it. She knotted it in a loose and messy bun with a few strands of hair out to frame my face.

"Go put on your dress." She said as she left the room.

I went to my wardrobe and pulled out the gorgeous pink dress my parents had given me for reaping day. I pulled it on and smoothed the hem. It sparkled every time I moved. I spun around and giggled in my dress. I felt so silly.

I wound the straps of the pink high heels around my legs. I looked at myself in the mirror.

My light brown hair was in a loose messy bun, my hair colour and light tan made my blue eyes really stand out, which was good because they were my favourite feature.

I put on a smile. All I had to do was stand there for a few hours and then I got to come home in my pretty dress and eat lots of yummy food. Not bad, huh?

"May I come in?" Someone called from outside.

"Yes!"

My sister, Amy walked in holding something in her hand.

"You look lovely, Lexi." She said, smiling.

I hugged her.

She pulled back and slipped something around my neck. It was a beautiful necklace with a pink stone hanging delicately from it.

"It's beautiful, Amy, thank you."

"It would have been my district token, Had I gone."

I hugged her. She knew how I felt. She had felt the same way and her fears were justified. She was reaped. I wished that girl who saved her wasn't dead now, I wanted to thank her and shower her with gifts for saving my sister. But she was gone now. Just like the rest of them.

"Amy! Lexi! It's time to leave!" My mother yelled.

"Coming, mother!" I shouted.

We walked downstairs. Amy's husband had joined my parents in the kitchen.

She kissed him on the cheek and we left.

My heart was thumping in my chest. Everything would be okay. I told myself.

I was standing in the town square with the other fourteen year old girls. Michelle and Faith were near the other end of the line. I really wanted them to stand with me.

The mayor said some boring speech. It was boring speech after boring speech.

The thing I hated most about Reaping day was the speeches. Blah, blah, blah.

A woman walked towards the podium. I didn't even remember her name, I didn't care, what was she to me?

"Ladies first!" She said.

Everyone went quiet. We all waited to see which young girl was being taken. Which one of us would get the glory.

We were all on edge and then she spoke,

"Lexi Miller!"

A gasp escaped my lips as well as from my friends and my family.

I was going into the Hunger Games.

A smile played on my lips. This was going to be fun.

**District one:**

**Julian Devereux**

I woke with a grin on my face. I knew what today was. Today was reaping day.

I was desperate to be chosen. If I wasn't chosen this year then next year, I would volunteer. I needed to go. I would be a victor just like my father and his father before him.

I heard someone pacing in the next room. I banged on the wall and yelled, "Alicia! Keep it down!"

I heard her sob.

I sighed and got out of bed. I walked into her absurdly pink bedroom and found her sitting in the middle of the room, crying.

I sat down next to her and hugged her. "What's wrong, Ali?"

"I could get reaped this year!" She sobbed. "And you're probably gonna go and you might not come back and I don't want to lose you like I lost Jackie!" She wailed into my chest.

I rubbed her back and shushed her. "Don't worry, Ali. You have such a tiny chance of going. I mean, there are other girls your age who have their names in lots of times. You only have yours once. You'll be fine." I said.

Alicia wouldn't be going to the Capitol. I knew that much. I wanted to go. I wished that I'd put my name in for tesserae even though we'd never needed it. Just so I would have a better chance of being chosen.

Alicia wasn't like me or Jackie, she was like mom. She was kind hearted and soft. I loved her for it but she wasn't a tribute. Not like me, not like Jackie.

I'd rather impale myself on a spike than see Alicia go to the Capitol as tribute.

"Come on, now, cheer up. If I get picked this year then I'll come back famous and I'll buy you anything you want."

She perked up and looked at me. "Anything?"

I nodded. "Anything."

She was jumping around the room dancing. She loved dresses and all that girly stuff.

She wasn't anything like Jackie.

Jackie…

I would never admit it, not aloud, but I missed Jackie. I knew that she was dead, I'd seen it happen. Only last year…but for months after the Games I had expected her to walk in the front door and yell, "I'm home!"

She would have won, if it wasn't for District two. This year would be my year, this year, I'd slaughter any and all tributes from that forsaken place.

Jackie was so close. All she had to do was kill that kid from District two and she would have come home. She would have been the third Devereux to win the Games. Instead she made one mistake, one tiny slip up and she was gone, just like that. At the time, Alicia didn't understand what had happened.

When Jackie fell to the ground, Alicia had grabbed my shirt and asked, "What happened to Jackie? Is she okay?"

I had choked out that Jackie was in a better place now. Later we had explained everything. I think she knew but when you watch someone you love die, nothing makes sense.

I realised it was nearly one. Crap.

I ran into my parents room and told them to get up. I mean, today was my day and they couldn't even be bothered getting out of bed.

Mom was running around, trying to get Alicia ready. Alicia was terrified. I could see it in her tiny eyes.

I pulled on some black jeans and a black top to boot. I wanted to get there early. I always did. I loved watching everything. I had grown up watching tribute after tribute from our district win. I had also watched tribute after tribute die.

I even had some of the Games on tape.

I remembered this one year before I was born, there was this girl, they called her the girl on fire because all her outfits looked as if she really were on fire.

Her district counterpart said he was in love with her and the most incredible thing happened, she managed to get a rule change.

Both of the district twelve tributes won that year, had they not, our tributes would have.

It was fascinating to watch. One of the best Hunger Games I've ever seen and I've seen most.

Alicia kept pacing while my mother attempted to do her hair.

"Alicia, stop pacing and let mom do your hair." I snapped.

Alicia sat down and let mom finish. We ate and ate and ate, knowing right well that I wasn't going to be here tonight. I'd lost my patience, if they didn't call my damn name, I was volunteering.

We made our way to the town square. I looked over at all the kids, some of them were scared out of their wits and others, like me, were itching for a chance to go. I had to go this year or I'd lose my mind.

I couldn't watch another boy have the glory, not this year. This year, I was going, this year, I was winning.

I knew there were kids who probably needed the prize more than I did but those kids, though they were few, had about as much chance of winning the Hunger Games as a starving kid from District twelve!

I knew that there most people starved to death. If I was correct, they'd had a total of four victors in the history of the Games. Laughable, I know! I mean, I'd lost count of how many we'd had. Dozens. The majority of victors were from either here, District two or four. But mostly here.

We spent our entire lives training to go to the Games and afterwards we could do whatever we wanted because we were considered like, national treasures or something.

I found my place among the other boys and listened to speech after speech after speech. God, I hate speeches. I mean, really, really hate them.

They bore me to tears but I wasn't going to cry. The only time in my entire life that I had cried was when Jackie died. Only once. I would never do it again. Never.

"Lexi Miller!"

Crap, I'd been so lost in thought I'd almost missed the tributes being called.

I watched a girl, maybe fourteen take the stage. Her Light brown hair swaying behind her as she walked. Light tan and piercing blue eyes. She looked…girly but dangerous. She'd make a useful ally.

"And the male tribute is…"

Please be me, please be me, please be me, please be me…

"Julian Devereux."

Yes!

I could have jumped up and down screaming at the top of my lungs but I managed to retain some dignity.

I smirked as I walked onto the stage.

It was my year, my day, my Games.


	4. District two Reaping

**District two:**

**Roseabella "Rose" Samson**

My stomach dropped the second I opened my eyes.

Crap.

Reaping day.

Not good, not good, not good.

I looked at the clock on the wall.

Crap twice.

Saler, Kevin and Mola were waiting for her. She was meant to meet up with them before the reaping.

Crap thrice.

This year Asla was old enough to be reaped.

I know a lot of kids in District two want to go into the Hunger Games, you know, win, get all the cash but I didn't want to go.

Seas, my big sister was 14 when she died in the arena.

I remembered every single second of her demise.

I remember her last words so clearly…

"Please…don't hurt my family…"

Then she died.

She was murdered in cold blood. My sister. Before then I'd been as eager as the rest of them.

I still trained of course. I was ready if it should happen but I wasn't going to go volunteer just cus I wanted to be rich. It's not like we weren't already rich.

I'd never taken any tesserae which is more than most can say.

Saler had taken four tesserae. I wished he hadn't. If he had needed money or food I'd be happy to give it to him but he was too damn proud.

I quickly jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes and went outside. Saler, Kevin and Mola were standing there waiting.

"What took you so long?" Mola whined. "We've been waiting for ages!"

"Mola, it's been three minutes." Kevin pointed out.

She pouted. "Don't correct me!"

I hugged her. Mola was my only female friend aside from my baby sister. Seas had been one of my closest friends, before the Games that had killed her.

"Sorry, Mola." I said, rolling my eyes so only Kevin and Saler could see.

I hugged them too.

I knew they were edgy about the reaping, especially Saler. He was a good fighter, a strong fighter but he didn't want to kill anyone unless it was to protect me. I knew he'd go to the ends of the earth to protect me. I knew he loved me with all his body and soul and I can't say I didn't feel the same. I was damn lucky to have him.

I kissed Saler on the cheek and Mola continued to babble and whine at the same time over having to wait as well as the reaping. We tried to keep it light, you know, joke around about it, because secretly we were all terrified of being reaped.

We just sat outside my house talking, laughing and enjoying ourselves. It was nice. Pleasant but underneath it all we were wondering what was going to happen today. Who would go into the arena.

The Games had fascinated me when I was younger. Now they felt like doom but I always watched the replays of everything during lunch at school. Most adults took time off work to watch the Games.

It was horrible but none of us could ever stop watching.

I had slept in pretty late. We had agreed to meet at twelve. At about twelve thirty-one my mother was sure to yell at me, tell me to come inside and get ready and then we'd all shoot each other nervous glances through the boring speeches.

That was the way it worked around here.

"What happens if one of us is reaped?" Kevin asked grimly.

Mola waved him off. "Please, this is District two, there are kids who are desperate to go. Even if we did get reaped, which we won't, then someone would take our place." It was true. Lots of people wanted to go to the Capitol.

"Rose!" Someone yelled.

I turned around to see my big brother, Bark standing in the doorway. "Hey Saler, Kevin, Mola." He shouted before turning to me. "Come on, Rose, you need to get ready."

I sighed and hugged my friends one last time before walking back inside.

My mother forced me into a very uncomfortable dress and started brushing my hair.

Then she did Asla.  
Sweet, precious Asla who hadn't had a day of training in her life. I know it's horrible to say so but if she was reaped and taken into the Games, she'd be killed at the Cornucopia within a heart beat. She was fragile, breakable, like glass.

We ate in silence. We were always like this on reaping days, ever since I can remember. I was ready if I needed to go but I still didn't want to. I wanted to stay here and play with my sister, read stories to my brother. Grow up without a death sentence hanging over my head.

I had a better chance than most if I was reaped. Some kids were thrown into there with no training, no idea what to do, no idea how to survive. I pitied them. Whenever I thought of these children, it made me realise how much better things were here in District two.

We started our journey to the town square. Asla was terrified. Some 'Career district' children knew how to slaughter you a dozen different ways with a knife by the age of twelve. Asla wasn't like that. She was just a little girl.

I took my place in the square. Asla was a few rows behind me. I stood right next to Mola. She grasped my hand in hers. Neither of us wanted to go. Mola had even less chance of surviving the Hunger Games than I did but my chances weren't that bad.

I could see Saler and Kevin in the boys section. They both gave us warm reassuring smiles and then the speeches start.

The problem with the speeches is, that if your completely terrified of being a tribute it gives you time to make yourself more anxious and worried than you were before.

I wasn't even paying attention when the girls name was drawn. But the name rung through my head.

It wasn't my name or Mola's or Asla's.

It was Kevin's little sister.

She was twelve. A mere child. She didn't understand what had just happened anymore than Asla did.

She walked up onto the stage.

The woman from the Capitol asked for volunteers.

I ran forward without a second thought. "I volunteer as tribute!" I shouted so everyone could hear.

Mola, Asla, Kevin, Saler and the rest of my family watched in shock as I took my place on the stage.

Bark looked devastated. Trent, my older brother, was screaming at me. A Peacekeeper grabbed him and started to drag him away. Asla was crying her pretty little eyes out. Zack, my younger brother, looked confused. What was happening? His eyes asked. Where are they taking my sister? Tess, my younger sister, looked even more confused. My mother fainted and my father caught her. He couldn't even look at me. He couldn't look his daughter in the eye.

Another name was called. I didn't know the boy but before he could even get to the steps a familiar voice screamed that he would be tribute.

Saler stepped forward.

**District two:**

**Saler Royals**

I wish it were any day except today.

Reaping day.

I know seeing as I'm from a 'Career' district, I should be excited. Loving the idea of going into the arena, killing people and getting a bunch of cash for doing it but I wasn't.

I didn't want to go into the arena. I was perfectly happy to stay where I was, even if I didn't have all the money in the world. I had Rose and that was all I would ever need.

Panic surged through me. What if they took Rose? My Rose.

No, I wouldn't let it happen. I couldn't. Someone would take her place.

Rose was like me, she could kill if needed, she'd had the training but she didn't want to. If she was reaped, people would instantly know if she didn't want to go and another, more vicious girl would take her place. Someone who wanted to go. They weren't in short supply.

Sometimes I swear I'm from the wrong district.

We were all meeting up before the reaping. Me, Rose, Kevin and Mola. No doubt Mola would whine if any of us were three seconds late. She was just that kind of person. Kevin would tell her to be quiet and then they would fight. That's the way it was.

I got out of bed and started walking. We always met outside Rose's house because she was always the one who accidentally slept in. Just one of a million reasons I love her.

I knew that she was especially terrified of the Games. Her older sister, Seas had been killed in the Games at the age of fourteen. She really never got over that. No one mentioned Seas anymore. She was their golden girl. Now she was gone.

Rose would never admit to missing anyone. She was a strong girl. She would never admit weakness. Unless it came to her family or one of us. She'd do anything for us and I'd do anything for her.

I think the word that would fit our relationship is loving.

Mola and Kevin were already outside Rose's house. Mola whined about waiting out here and Kevin told her to be quiet.

Rose came bounding out of the house after about five minutes.

"What took you so long?" Mola whined. "We've been waiting for ages!"

"Mola, it's been three minutes." Kevin stated.

Mola pouted. "Don't correct me."

"Sorry Mola." Rose said. She hugged Mola and Kevin, kissed me on the cheek and then listened to Mola babble about…uh, well I don't know, I wasn't listening.

She talked for what seemed like hours and then out of the blue, Kevin asked,

"What happens if one of us is reaped?"

Mola waved him off immediately. "Please, this is District two, there are kids who are desperate to go. Even if we did get reaped, which we won't, then someone would take our place."

It was very true.

There were very few people like us who didn't want to go into the Games.

"Rose!" Someone yelled.

Rose's big brother, Bark stood in the doorway of their house. "Hey Saler, Kevin, Mola." He gave a small nod of his head to each of us. "Come on, Rose, you need to get ready.

She hugged each of us before running back into the house.

Kevin, Mola and I said our goodbyes and headed back home to get ready.

I got home and changed into acceptable clothing as my mother called it.

Syle, my sister was in a dress which was something rarely seen.

This year was her final year in the reaping. Next year she would be safe. I envied her.

Bryon, my younger brother was anxious. This year was the last year he was safe. Next year he would turn twelve and be put into the reaping.

We headed to the reaping square. I parted with my family. Hopefully not for the last time. I doubted it. Someone would take my place, like Mola said.

I took my place and searched the crowds for Mola, Kevin and Rose.

I spotted Kevin and moved next to him. We didn't speak but his company helped. We stared at Mola and Rose who were hand in hand, they both looked like they were losing it.

I'd tell you about the speeches but you'd drop dead of boredom.

Then the woman said, "Ladies first!" And pulled out a name.

The name was read out and Kevin tensed next to me. It wasn't Rose's name, or Mola's or Syle's.

It was Kevin's baby sister.

Her first reaping, she'd never taken any tesserae and she was reaped.

I saw something in Rose's eyes and I knew what she was going to do. And there was nothing I could do to stop her.

"I volunteer as tribute!" She shouted as she ran forward.

"No…" I gasped under my breath. This wasn't happening.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

GODDAMNIT, NO!

The boys name was called. I didn't know the kid, I didn't care.

I ran forward and shouted at the top of my lungs,

"I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!"

Syle's jaw dropped.

Bryon slapped his forehead like an idiot.

My mother screamed and fainted, luckily my father caught her.

Rose was giving me a glare that looked like it could kill.

Kevin was standing there blinking. He wasn't processing this any better than I was.

Mola fainted. Luckily someone caught her.

What had I done?


	5. District three reaping

**District three:**

**Venus Blonsky**

"Mommy." A voice called.

I opened my eyes and looked at my beautiful baby girl, Psyche.

"Hey, gorgeous." I said, opening my arms for her to join me in my double bed.

"Mommy, I heard Auntie Selene and Auntie Artemis talking. They said one of you might be going away." She said in a scared little voice.

"No, no, baby. No ones going anywhere."

She looked up at me with my blue eyes. "You promise?"

I smiled at her. "I'm not leaving and neither are your aunties. It's okay."

My daughter was surprisingly smart for a two and a half year old.

She snuggled into my chest. I knew there was always the possibility that I would be in the Hunger Games, I knew there was a possibility my sisters would be, I knew one day there was a possibility my brother, Leto would be.

And above all, I knew that one day, my baby girl's name would be in that reaping ball.

The thought made me shudder.

If I were still old enough to volunteer when she was able to be reaped then I'd take her place in a heart beat.

But by then I would be too old.

Next year was the last year I would be able to go into the Hunger Games.

After that I was safe.

But my sisters, my brother and my daughter wouldn't be.

I stayed there, curled up with my daughter for as long as I could.

I was lying to her. I didn't like to lie to anyone. I knew that there was a chance, a small chance considering I'd never taken any tesserae but still a chance.

"Venus?"

My younger sister, Artemis came in.

"Hey, Artemis." I said quietly.

"Um, I was wondering if you wanted me to get Psyche ready for the reaping."

I smiled at her. "Don't you need to get ready?"

"No, it's fine. I'll take her."

I gently shook Psyche. "Sweetie, Auntie Artemis is going to get you ready to go out, okay?"

She nodded sleepily and padded over to my sister.

I gave her one last smile before she left the room.

There aren't words as to how much I love that little girl.

The reaping made me think of Vana.

I missed her so much.

Okay, so I guess eventually it would be known that I have probably one of the least respected jobs in the world. I work as a doxy/stripper. **(For anyone who doesn't know, a doxy is a prostitute but I like the word doxy better, don't you?)**

I am not proud of what I am but I did what I did to keep a roof over my families head. My father thinks I am a disgrace. I've worked as a doxy since I was thirteen. I had a daughter at fifteen and for a while I was addicted to drugs.

Two years ago the only person not related to me by blood that I cared about, my friend Vana, was killed in the Hunger Games.

I hate the Hunger Games. I hate them. Some people think of them as an honour. What an honour it is to win. What about the people that die?

To an outsider, I might not seem to have much but I have everything that I need and while it ain't much, what I got, I aim to keep.

I got out of bed and pulled on a pair of daisy dukes, showing off my legs. A blue midriff top that matched my eyes and showed off my stomach and a set of heels which brought me to a respectable six foot tall.

I brushed my long, long, long blonde hair and put on a dab of make up.

I walked downstairs. My father was at the dining room table. He didn't even look at me. Selene was making breakfast and Artemis was elsewhere, Probably trying to get my daughter into a nice dress.

Today was Artemis's first reaping. None of us had ever taken tesserae so we had a small advantage over other people.

We ate in perfect silence. I could tell from the look on my daughter's face that she didn't understand what was happening.

I was glad. I didn't want her to know about this until it was necessary. The Hunger Games were something that I never wanted her to know about but she needed to know, just in case.

We walked to the square in silence. When we got there, I handed over my beautiful Psyche to my father and took my place near the front.

I was scared. No matter how much I tried to calm myself, whenever I found myself here, waiting to see if I would be murdered for entertainment purposes, I got scared.

Which, when I think about it is a pretty good reason to be scared.

I looked at my sisters.

My brother, Leto was with my father and my daughter.

There were speeches, which gave me time to make myself even more scared.

I hate my mind right now.

A man from the Capitol came up and reached into the ball that held the girls names.

Six of those pieces of paper held my name. Four held Selene's and one held Artemis's.

He spoke in a very clear voice. It rang through my mind.

The voice spoke a name I know all too well,

"Venus Blonsky."

"Mommy!" My daughter screams.

I walk up those stairs and pray for a miracle.

No one steps forward to take my place. Not that I expected them too.

I saw Artemis rush forward. I knew she was about to volunteer but Selene put her hand over her mouth and pulled her back.

I nodded at Selene, telling her she was doing the right thing. Selene needed to stay here. Our father was about as much help as a dead slug. Artemis would die in the arena for sure. I had a small chance.

My daughter broke free of my father's arms and ran onto the stage. Everyone gasped at her. I hugged my baby girl and my father came and took her away.

I looked directly into the camera that was broadcasting live to the Capitol.

I said in a clear voice, "If I die in the arena, your taking away that little girls mother. Just know that."

**District three:**

**Jacob Fields**

"Jacob Fields! Get your butt outta that bed!" Gracelyn shouted.

I groaned. Stupid nanny.

"Now, Gracelyn?" I whined.

"If you wanna eat any time in the next month, you get outta bed when I tell you to." She snapped.

Grrrr.

Don't get me wrong, I love Gracelyn like a mother. She's more of a mother to me than my actual mother but that's not the point. It's too damn early, even if it is…

"REAPING DAY!" I sat up dead straight in my bed.

"Now you remember." Gracelyn says, shaking her head as she leaves the room.

I dragged my ass outta bed and walked downstairs. Naturally my parents were in their office working.

Gracelyn made me pancakes. "Thank you, Gracelyn." I said.

"Good, boy, I'm finally starting to teach you some manners." She said.

Gracelyn is a caring woman, really but when she's mad it's downright scary.

Today was my final reaping day. Never again would I have to stand there wondering if my name would come out.

It might boost my status with the ladies if I won but it's not like I need help there.

I didn't want to go into the Games. I mean, if I had to then I would be fine, I could handle myself.

I was stuffed full of pancakes until I was about to burst.

"Go put on something nice and then we'll get your parents and leave."

I ran upstairs and changed into a pair of black jeans and a shirt that said, 'sluts don't drown'. **(It sounds weird now but trust me on this.)**

Gracelyn shook her head at my shirt. My parents didn't even look at me long enough to notice. I know they love me but they have Gracelyn to take care of me but they have no one to take care of their company.

My mother kissed the top of my head and we drove to the square.

I walked around until I found my friends. Sam, Brett and Bruce.

"Hey, Man." I said.

They nodded at me.

Me and Brett were checking out the fresh meat. All the girls in these ridiculous dresses, amazing.

Sam hit us both upside the head. "You two, cut it out." He snapped.

We both snickered and Bruce just stook his head at us.

We high fived each other and took our spots.

I watched the crowds, especially the girls.

A blonde girl caught my eye. If she was still here after the reaping, she might be worth my time.

They made speech after speech. I was starting to fall asleep on my feet. Then the man from the Capitol reached into the ball containing the girls names.

The name he read out was, "Venus Blonsky."

A hot blonde chick walked onto the stage.

A little girl ran onto the stage after her, screaming, "Mommy! Mommy!"

The blonde hugged the child and a man came up and took her away.

I felt a stab of sympathy for the girl. That kid must be her daughter. She couldn't be older than me.

Then he went for the other plastic ball.

I held my breath.

"Jacob Fields."

What? No! This wasn't…I couldn't…

I was glad that my body didn't react the way my mind did. I kept my cool, on the outside at least and walked up to the stage with a cocky grin on my face.

Inside I was screaming.

The Hunger Games? Me? Tribute?

Well, damn.


	6. District four reaping

**District four:**

**Aria Carter**

I woke up feeling a little too eager for the day to come.

Today was the reaping. Once a year, every year.

I didn't mind the thought of winning the Hunger Games. I didn't mind the thought of going. A couple of times over the years I'd considered just volunteering. I never went through with it though.

My father, unlike most, had never expected me to go into the Hunger Games. Most people from this District expected their children to go.  
Some kids spent everyday of their lives training.

I guess I train a lot too but I don't spend all day training and I've only been in training since I was seven. Most kids start at age three.

I frowned.

Because it was reaping day I wouldn't get to train with Liva today. Liva was my trainer.

She was more a mother to me than my actual mother ever could be.

I'm fourteen and I've already run away twice, trying to escape my mother. She's found me both times and dragged me home. After the second time she started making me train. I think she was hoping for me to see it as a punishment but I don't. I love it.

Liva loves me more than Belisse ever did. Not to mention I met my best friend, Arin there.

I wondered what Arin and Epiphany, my other best friend, are doing right now.

Do they hope to be tributes?

Do they want to go?

Or are they scared?

I understand that some people are scared of the Games but I don't mind if I get chosen as tribute.

The look on my face will tell if I want someone to volunteer for me.

It's like an unspoken code in District four. If the tribute that is walking up the stairs has fear in any of their features, then someone else, someone who wants to go will step forward.

If I am chosen I will remain frozen. I will not show fear. I will not let someone else go in my place.

People who have been scared and have had someone take their place in the Games are hated in a way. Like they are weaklings for not going.

Besides, if I go, at least it'll be a way to get away from my mother forever. If I die, then I won't have to deal with her anymore and if I win, I'll leave her in the house we live in now and live in the Victors village all by myself.

Nah, I'd probably get my friends and my brothers and my father to live with me. Not that he'd leave Belisse. He was too noble.

Another reason I love my father.

The reaping in District four was at ten in the morning. Pretty early compared to some places. I heard that they have it at two in the afternoon in District twelve.

Maybe it was the norm there but I couldn't even imagine sleeping in on a day like this.

I got out of bed and rustled up some food. Nothing to big. I would be so nervous during the reaping that I might make myself sick.

I wasn't sure if I was nervous about being reaped or about not being reaped.

I am a very confusing person.

I looked through my wardrobe till I found my reaping dress for this year.

Usually I wouldn't be at home, my training sessions were a lot like a military school but my father insisted that I be home on reaping days.

I stripped from my pyjama's and pulled on the dress.

The dress was short and navy blue. White trimmings and a white sash across it. It was quiet pretty really.

I pulled on my shoes.

I remember the day I bought them.

The man in the shop said that they were based on a shoe they had when Panem was called America. Back then they were called converse.

Funny name, isn't it?

My brothers weren't old enough for the reaping. I'm not sure they even understood what the Games were about. No one we'd known had ever been a tribute so they just didn't get it.

I don't like the Games. I mean, to think that every year twenty three families all over the country are crying over their dead child is horrible but that doesn't mean I don't want to win.

I brushed my hair and tied it back. I hated having my hair down. I mean, I always wanted straight hair but instead I've got curly blonde locks. Aside from that I have no problem with my appearance. I guess I'm kind of pretty. I don't know. I mean, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?

I like my eyes. Their strange. They're grey. I have this image going, blonde hair, tanned, not to mention I'm all legs and then there's my eyes. My big grey eyes. They stand out.

I walk downstairs and look at my family.

My brothers keep hitting each other, my mother stares at me like I'm dirt and my father smiles.

I wish Liva were here.

She'll be at the reaping for sure. I smiled at the thought. I wondered what Epiphany was wearing to the reaping.

Arin would be there. None of us had ever had to take tesserae. I felt sorry for people who did.

I mean what could have happened to make someone so desperate for food that they'd put their names in extra times when they were absolutely terrified of the Hunger Games.

Sometimes I swear people are crazy.

I mean, if you scared of something, you don't make your chance of it happening to you bigger, right? But they do anyway!

My mother is looking at me like I'm something the cat dragged in except we don't have a cat because she wouldn't let us get one.

God, I hate her!

She goes off at me for running away but she refuses to face the fact that I only ran away to get away from her!

As if by some unspoken agreement between my parents and I, we move to leave.

Belisse gets my brothers and we start our journey.  
We walk, it's not like the square is far from our house.

It's packed with people. Everything is decorated with banners and lights and cameras. I love it this time of year.

I spot Epiphany waving her arms around in the air trying to get my attention. I bid my family farewell and run over to her. I hug her.

She looks nervous.

"Epiphany, what's wrong?" I ask her. I don't like it when my friends are upset. If there's one thing in my life that's important to me, it's my friends.

"I just…Aria, I'm not strong like you. If I got reaped, I couldn't possibly win." She stuttered out.

I grabbed her hands and looked her in the eyes. "I promise, if you get reaped, I'll volunteer. I could win and so could you, even if you don't think you could." I said.

She looks like she's about to cry. She jumps into my arms for a hug.

"Am I interrupting something?"

I let go of Epiphany and grin at Arin.

"Arin!" I shout, jumping into his arms. He blushes furiously. I never could quiet understand Arin but he's my friend and that's all that matters.

Arin is nearly as strong as me. He's Liva's second best student. Second only to me.

"You okay?" I ask him.

He nods. "Yeah, just wondering who's gonna get reaped."

I shrug, as if it couldn't possibly matter. If someone didn't wanna go then someone else would gladly take their place. That's the way it worked in District four.

More and more people started filing in. We all took our spots in the roped off areas and got ready for the reaping.

I could tell which people wanted to go just by looking at them. There were the tough looking ones, the really big kids that could kill you with one hit. The sneaky ones who could kill you twenty different ways with a knife. The ones that were half my size but twice as deadly.

There were so many of us.

The speeches then started. I looked over at Epiphany and Arin. They were as bored as I was.

Seriously, no one likes the reaping day speeches, so why do they have em?

I don't know, I think the Capitol is a little batty but hey, if that's what they want then who are we to argue?

I'm serious, arguing just gets your District blown up. Like District thirteen. No one spoke about the long gone district. I guess people just want to forget the place, pretend it was never there and that the world has always worked this way.

I try to imagine a world without the Hunger Games and I come up blank. It's always been there, ever since I was a baby and before that, the Games have always been here.

Then the speeches stopped and a man from the Capitol with bright orange hair reached into the bubble that held our names.

He pulled out a piece of paper. It seemed odd that someone's entire future could be changed with a piece of paper.

His voice rang clearly through the square as he said a name I knew all too well.

"Aria Carter."

I let a smirk cross my face as I strutted to the stage.

Even if I was a little scared, I couldn't let it show or someone would take my place, my glory, my Games and I wasn't going to let that happen.

No one stepped forward to volunteer. They knew I wanted this from the smirk on my face.

I would never have to face my mother again.

Never again.

**District four:**

**Renyie "Ren" Mouldon**

I know most people start their day with waking up but I haven't gone to sleep yet. I have been up all night painting.

I know my dad doesn't approve of my painting but who said he has to know?

There was a knock on my door.

"Who is it?"

"It's the President."

"Come in, Marolyn and Carolyn." I said.

My ten year old twin sisters came in.

They were bouncy and happy all the time. It was very annoying.

"What ya doing?" Carolyn asked.

"Painting." I replied.

Marolyn looked at the painting in front of me. "Very pretty. But mom and dad said we gotta get ready cus we're going to the town square for something."

"Okay, out!" I snapped.

They pouted and marched out of the room. Before they had even crossed the threshold, Carolyn had started chasing Marolyn.

I shook my head at them. I would never understand my sisters.

I pulled out some respectable clothing to wear to the reaping.

I know that I am from a 'Career' District but I don't care for the Hunger Games. I'm glad I haven't taken any tesserae. I don't want to go but if I get reaped I'm not gonna let someone else take my place.

People who have others volunteer for them are seen as weak. I will not live like that. I will not be weak. Some people are never really forgiven for not going to the Capitol. I will not be that guy, that one who let someone else fight for him in the Games.

I'm pretty handy with a couple of weapons, I could survive.

I wasn't cocky but I was sure I could survive. The only people that would even be a threat to me would be the tributes from district one and two and even they've had a few bad tributes over the years.

I changed into jeans and a t-shirt. My messy blonde hair has never done what I wanted it to so I guess it ain't gonna start now.

We walked to the town square. We were running a little late so I didn't have time to look for my friends. I just took my place among the sixteen year olds and waited.

The real part I had been dreading were the speeches. I hated speeches. They were so boring. They put me to sleep. I was eventually going to learn how to sleep on my feet just for reaping days. I mean, I was gonna have to come to them every year for the rest of my life, even if I wasn't viable to be reaped.

Reapings suck.

The least they could do is give us a chair to sit on.

My eyes were flickering around the crowd. Some people looked a little too anxious to be reaped.

Other's were terrified.

I wasn't you know, dying to go but if I got reaped I'd go. I wasn't scared.

The girls got reaped first.

The name they called was Aria Carter.

A girl, my age with curly honey blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail, she was tanned, she was all legs and had these piercing grey eyes. Kinda cute.

She smirked as she walked onto the stage. She was one of them. The ones who were born to go into the Games.

She looked confident, almost cocky. Yeah, she was a tough one.

Then the man read out the boys name.

"Renyie Mouldon."

Well, wax my legs and call me a surfboard, I was a tribute.

I didn't smirk but I did not show fear. Then I realised that the girl, Aria was going to be a problem.

I sighed, I saw my face on the screens around the square. I appear almost bored.

No one dares step forward.

Good, this might be a chance to show the world what I'm made of.

And I could have my own house if I won. In the Victors village where I could paint all I wanted. Yeah, I could do this.

My sisters were staring at me. They clearly didn't get what was happening. It's okay, though. I would come back. I pitied the families that would watch their children die but that would not happen to my family. I wondered if my father would even care if I died.

Oh, well.


	7. District five reaping

**District five:**

**Nan Weatherall**

I'd been awake all night doing calculations.

I had been calculating the betting odds on who would be reaped this year. I figured I could make some extra money, not that I really needed it but who ever complained of having too much money?

My odds were excruciatingly tiny. This was only my second reaping, I'd never taken any tesserae so my name was only in it twice.

Whereas some of the less well off kids had their name is their twenty and thirty times. I was betting on them.

Okay, I know I'm only thirteen but with my brain, who could resist betting?

My friend, Calculus, She had as much chance as me.

Me and Cal liked betting on the odds of the reapings. It put our smarts to good use.

"Nan? Are you up?"

"Yeah, mom, I'm up." I said.

My door opened and my mother walked in. "Do you want me to do your hair for the reaping?"

I nodded.

I loved my mother. She was a mathematician. She was so smart. I looked a lot like her except for my eyes, I have my dad's peridot coloured eyes.

But I have my mom's fiery red hair.

I wish I was a little taller but being small had advantages too. I mean, it was easy to slip past people when you stand at a threatening 5ft tall.

"Let me get dressed first." I said.

My mother nodded and stepped out of the room for me to change.

I peeled off my pants and t-shirt and put on a white dress with a green sash the exact colour of my eyes.

"I'm ready!" I shouted.

My mother came in and instructed me to sit down in front of the vanity in my room. I barely used it but who knows? One day I might turn into a girly girl.

BWUAHAHAHAHAHAH! Yeah right, like that's gonna happen.

My mother brushed my hair and put it up in pigtail braids tied up with green ribbons that matched my dress. Perfect.

"You look wonderful, Nan."

"Nan! Nan!" My little sister, Elisabeth came bounding into the room. She looked at me in awe. "You look pretty, Nan." She said.

"Thanks, Elisa." I said, scooping her up into my arms.

Like me, she was small for her age. She was eight.

She still had four more years of freedom before she had to worry about reapings.

I know that considering my odds of going into the Games are about the same as me being hit by a meteor, that I shouldn't be worried but I couldn't help it.

It was a reflex.

I couldn't kill anyone. Never. I mean, traps and tricks, I could do that but I could never imagine myself actually being the one who ended someone's life.

I wasn't one of those kids who wanted to be a tribute. Actually, there weren't a whole lot of people who wanted to be tributes anymore. At least not in District five. We like to keep our skins on our bodies and knives in the kitchen, not in our chests. Comprende?

"Are you going away like those other kids?" Elisa asked me.

Maybe she knew more about the Hunger Games than she was letting on. She knew that it took kids away from their families.

"No, Elisa, I'm not going anywhere. We're just going out for a little while and then we'll come back and have something yummy to eat."  
She looked sceptical. She knew something was happening but we couldn't tell her just yet.  
Let her be innocent for a while longer. Let her be a normal child. At least until she was viable to be reaped herself. When she turned twelve we'd tell her the harsh truth of the Games.

She still didn't really understand that grandma was gone.  
We'd told her she'd gone to a better place but could we say the same for the Hunger Games? No, that place was hell. We were forced there to be animals for the slaughter.

The people in the Capitol made me sick.

Not to mention the odds of a District five tribute actually winning. Chances were small. The Career districts always won. Always. I don't know how many victors we've had in past years. I don't want to know, I'm sure the number would only frighten me.

A number, frightening me? God, that's just weird.

I didn't eat any breakfast. I didn't want to. I wasn't hungry. I was still running over the odds in my head. I was trying to convince myself that I wouldn't be reaped but my heart refused to believe what my head believed.

I knew that the odds were never in anyone's favour in these situations. No matter how much they said, "May the odds be _ever _in your favour." The odds would never be in anyone's favour.

We walked to the town square and I took my place in the thirteen year olds. Near the back. Yeah, I wouldn't be reaped.

The closer you were to the front, the more likely you were to be reaped. I was near the back, I could barely see the stage from over all the older kids.

They made speech after speech. I didn't pay much attention this year. I had actually listened last year. They told us about how Panem rose from the ashes of a horrible country called America. How the Capitol was a shining beacon of hope, when is actual fact, to many it was a death sentence. They told about how the dark days must never be repeated and that's how we got the Hunger Games. Sick and twisted, That's what it is. Sick and twisted.

A perky woman I didn't recognise took the stage and talked about what an honour it was for her to be there. I was sure that this place was better than some other Districts but I knew she wanted to be the escort for a Career district, they all did. She then reached into the plastic bubble that held my name twice, written ever so carefully on pieces of paper.

"Nan Weatherall."

My stomach dropped, then did a triple backflip and then finally a bellyflop. I knew it was a good idea to skip breakfast this morning.

**District five:**

**Storan Yilop**

"Storan! Get moving! We're gonna be late!" Polly shouted at me.

"I'm sleeping." I said.

"We have to go, the reapings going to start in…five minutes."

I shot up out of bed, Shit, shit, shit, shit.

If we didn't get there and soon, the peacekeepers were going to bloody murder us.

Shit, shit, shit, shit.

Damn my constant sleeping in.

I already had pants on so I searched for a shirt. I grabbed one and sniffed it. Smelled alright, so I threw it over my head, while simultaneously trying to put on my sneakers.

"Storan!" Polly shouted again.

Polly was my older sister and a pain she was. But I loved her.

She really took a handle on things when Mom and Dad died. I envied her strength and bravery.

"STORAN!" She screamed from the front door. "IF YOU DON'T GET A MOVE ON I AM GOING TO LEAVE YOU FOR THE PEACEKEEPERS!"

I ran to the front door.

"We're going to have to run now." She snapped.

We both started booking it just to get there. I was pretty fast.

I know that we're meant to dress up for reapings but I never have and I never will. This is what, my fourth? I don't keep track of them.

In a few years I won't even have to worry about getting reaped. I can just sit back and relax and you know, not fear for my life on an annual basis.

The speeches were about to start. Panicking, I found a spot among the sixteen year olds and listened to the speeches. How boring.

A woman started talking about how happy she was to be here. No one cared because we all knew she wasn't. She wanted to be a Career escort, you know actually have victors.

The girls name that was called was Nan Weatherall. She was a young girl, thirteen at the most. She looked like she might be sick but no one would take her place, no one had the guts.

Then came the boys name. God, here it comes.

"Storan Yilop."

What? No!

"NO!" Polly screamed. "NO!" She started to run towards me but a peacekeeper grabbed her and pulled her back. "No." She whispered.

I could barely believe it myself. Me? A tribute?

Oh, I was so dead.


	8. District six reaping

**District Six:**

**Mia Blaikely**

"Mommy, wake up." My daughter, Nyssa shook me awake.

I opened my eyes to look at her. She was so beautiful.

"Hey, Nyssa. Come here." I sat up and gestured for her to come and sit on my lap.

My Nyssa was so beautiful. She looks a lot like Skyeler. It makes me sad to think of my sister and makes me even sadder to think that she barely even knew her daughter before she died.

But I would never let Nyssa know the truth. The kindness of the lie. She would never know about Skyeler, never know who I really was to her.

I knew we had to leave soon but I didn't want to, I wanted to hold my daughter for a while longer.

I sighed at the thought of the nine pieces of paper that held my name in the reaping balls. I couldn't leave. I needed to take care of my daughter.

She couldn't lose her mother, not again.

"Come on, we've got to get ready." I said.

She sighed and got up. First I got her ready. I put her in a yellow dress a lot like mine.

I put on my yellow dress with ruffles and a halter top.

I kissed her on the top of her head and pulled on my rosy flip flops. I didn't put my hair up. I didn't like to. I liked having my hair in it's usual curls.

My parents were downstairs. In silent agreement, we all started walking to the town square, where the reaping would take place.

When we got there, I relinquished my daughter to my mother. I could see the fear in Nyssa's eyes. She knew something was happening. I couldn't let her know what might happen. Not now, not ever.

I waited patiently through the speeches. I hated the speeches. I could see people in the crowd starting to doze off as they ended.

When the escort reached into the bubble that held the girls names, I locked eyes with my best friend, Monet. She looked as terrified as I did.

"Mia Blaikely."

My breathing got laboured. No. I couldn't. No. They couldn't take me away from Nyssa. No. They took Skyeler, they couldn't have me too.

I didn't move so Peacekeepers grabbed me and forced me onto the stage. I saw the fear in my baby girls eyes.

"Mommy!" She screamed as she thrashed around in my mother's arms.

"Nyssa, behave!" I snapped.

Peacekeepers had me by my arms. I couldn't escape. I was going to die. No, no, no, no.

I just stared into Nyssa's eyes.

I had to come back. I had to.

She couldn't lose her mother.

Not again.

**District six:**

**David Lefont**

"David! Get up, now!" My father shouted.

I groaned. He had to get there early for the reaping, seeing as he was a victor. Today was my first reaping. I knew that my father wanted me to be a victor as well and maybe I would be.

If I got chosen then, okay, I'd go, I'd win and my dad would be proud of me but I sure as hell wasn't going to volunteer.

I didn't want to kill people. I could if I wanted to but didn't wanna. I just wanted to sleep in!

"David, I'm serious, get your ass moving, now." My father growled.

I loved my dad, I really did but I hated getting up early on reaping days. Yes, I had to get up early for ones I wasn't even involved in, how suckie is that?

I pulled on some jeans and a clean shirt.

My father was tapping his foot, irritated at how long it was taking me to get ready.

A thousand times me kept telling me not to be afraid if I was reaped, That he'd be there all the way through the Games as my mentor. I had one entry, one and he was telling me all the stuff like it was a definite that I'd be a tribute.

I was getting mad. I mean, it was a ridiculous hour of the morning. I could be in bed, asleep but no, I was here, in the town square. Sometimes I hated being a victors son.

Eventually people started showing up. Eventually. I was sitting on a bench, waiting for the actual reaping to get underway.

I just wanted the damn thing to be over so I could get home and go back to bed.

Then the actual reaping started.

First they called the girls name. I didn't know her. Her name was Mia Blaikely. She was pretty.

A little girl, maybe two started screaming, "Mommy! Mommy!"

It must be her daughter.

I felt sorry for her.

She told her daughter to behave and took her place on the stage.

Then the boys name was called.

My father was jumping for joy, I was terrfied and my mother just didn't know what to do.

"David Lefont."

Dad got his wish.

I'm a tribute.


	9. District seven reaping

**District seven:**

**Shay Auburn**

I dreamed about my dad the night before the reaping. He'd been dead for seven years now and some nights I still woke up screaming for him.

I'd never really dreamt about my mother's death. I didn't really care, I know it sounds horrible but it's the truth.

After dad died when I was seven, she just disappeared. Her body was still there but her mind was gone. She didn't even have enough sense to feed her children. She died when I was twelve, two years ago.

I felt barely anything when she died. I thought that one day I would regret not making things right with her before she died but I hadn't started feeling the regret now, so I figured it would never come. Maybe when my death came, I would regret many things, the way I left things with my mother before she died would be one thing but…

Now Ben took care of me and Heather. He was twenty now, Heather fifteen.

Reapings terrified me. I had my name in their thirteen times this year, three because I had to and ten because we needed food. Heather had taken even more tesserae than me.

I knew of kids who'd taken dozens of tesserae. I worried for them.

Ren had taken a couple of tesserae but not as much as me and Heather.

I loved Heather, more than sisterly love, I loved her because she was like a best friend. Ren was my best friend too but who says I can't have more than one?

Heather is only a year older than me and she manages to keep her sanity, I don't know how she does it.

She's taken lots of tesserae, she took some when she was only twelve. Ben had taken some after my father died. He was thirteen when our father died. Then our mother left us alone, to fend for ourselves.

People felt sorry for us when our mother died of starvation five years after our father had died, they made a big deal out of it, like we'd relied on her for support when really, nothing changed except we had one less mouth to feed.

We did try and get her to eat the small amount of food we'd been able to scrape together using our tesserae rations but she wouldn't do it.

She'd been dead to me long before her body gave out of her. She'd been dead since she left us alone.

Ben was a better parent than she ever was.

I didn't want to get up and face that horror that would settle over me the second I entered the square. What would happen if I were reaped? Or worse, Ren or Heather?

If Ren was reaped I would be helpless as the Peacekeepers took him away. If Heather was reaped, I'd take her place in a heartbeat.

I would never let them take her. Never.

I'd do anything if it would stop Ren being reaped but I couldn't. I could protect Heather though. I could protect her.

That was my only reassurance. That if it came down to it, I could protect Heather.

I knew that there were kids whose odds were much worse than ours but odds were not something you could count on in the reaping. The odds were never in anyone's favour.

I'd seen twelve year olds, who'd never taken any tesserae be reaped and no one taking their place.

They'd died in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia.

I knew that if you made it past the Cornucopia bloodbath, you had a chance, whether you just escaped it or whether you managed to survive it through fighting. Some of the people that survived the bloodbaths were quiet surprising. Tributes you thought would be dead in the first five minutes would be alive for days, even weeks after the start of the Hunger Games. But not many of them became victors. Not many of them even made it into the final eight, unless they were extremely skilled or extremely lucky.

That was another thing you couldn't count on, luck.

"Shay? Are you awake?"

My sister, Heather came into the room. She had raven coloured hair with blue eyes. She's so skinny.

She's beautiful.

I'm not pretty like her but I'm not ugly or anything. I have the same raven coloured hair that goes down to the middle of my back, but I can't stand having it down, it's always in two braids. My eyes are grey but they have flecks of blue in them. I'm small and slender but pretty athletic.

People always tell me I look just like my father. Maybe I do but as I grow older, my memories of him begin to fade.

I fear that one day, I will forget him altogether. I pray that day never comes.

"Yeah, I'm awake" I said.

She smiled at me. "C'mon, we have to get ready for the reaping."

My stomach dropped through the floor.

The reaping.

I wished it was any other day. I didn't care what day, as long as it wasn't reaping day.

I didn't let Heather know how panicked I was.

"Sure."

The reaping was the one time of year that I dressed up, I'm just not that kind of girl. I'm more jeans and a t-shirt kind of girl.

I realised Heather was already in her reaping outfit. A blue dress that ended just above her knee.

She helped me into a dark green dress that went down to my knees and she braided my hair, in two braids of course.

I stared at myself in the mirror.

I don't know why but I had a bad feeling that today was the start of something, something big, something neither I nor my siblings could control. Something bad.

"Heather, you know I love you, right?" I said.

She smiled at me. "Of course, I do, silly. I love you too. Now we gotta get going because I let you sleep in. Ben's downstairs waiting for us." She said.

She led me by the hand to the foyer where my brother Ben was waiting for us.

He smiled and gave me a hug. He told us how nice we looked and we thanked him. He was being all cool but I knew that inside he was as worried as I.

We walked to the square. There aren't a lot of cars here, not that we could afford one anyway.

People were everywhere. Just kids, some younger than me, other's older. It didn't matter, we were all on the line here and there was nothing we could do to stop it.

I took my place in the crowd. I couldn't see Ren. I had really wanted to see him before the reaping began. If only for a hug. I needed some form of comfort. I couldn't even see Heather, she was somewhere in the masses.

I was just standing there.

There were speeches. Nothing anyone was saying was sinking in. I had a bad feeling.

The girls were reaped first, they always were. Every year in every district, the girls were always reaped first. In some ways it was better, you know, get it over and down with but in some ways it was worse.

What of that poor girl who'd had her dreams dashed? Her life given away for nothing?

The boys got more time, only moments more but still just a few more seconds of content. Of being safe and secure at home.

The girls name was chosen and the world seemed to freeze. Nothing made sense in that moment. Nothing.

It wasn't my name, I wished it was my name but it wasn't.

No, the name did not belong to me.

The name was…

Heather Auburn.

Heather freaked out. She looked so pained.

I couldn't let them take her, not my sister. I knew what I had to do.

I didn't even give the escort time to finish their sentence before I screamed,

"I volunteer as tribute!"

Ben stared at me. His eyes said, _What have you done?_

Heather looked relieved and then shocked. She was safe but now my neck was on the line.

They let Heather go and I walked onto the stage, as I passed her I spoke softly, "I'm sorry, Heather."

I took my place on the stage and watched everyone. They all thought I was crazy but I didn't care.

If I died then I'd died knowing that I was protecting my sister and that was enough for me.

**District seven:**

**Aspen Willkins**

My mother woke me up early for the reaping.

I tried to put on a brave face and smile, be happy but I couldn't. Today was the one day I could not be brave, the one day I would not.

My mother needed me to be cheerful and happy or she would lose it.

She was never happy. Never smiling. She had an air of sadness around her that was there everyday. It had been there ever since Dad left.

I hated the Hunger Games.

Like our world wasn't bad enough without kids being sent to their deaths every year. It was the Capitol's way of saying that they have power, that there is nothing we can do to stop them.

And it's true, there is nothing we can do. We can only wait and pray that it is not our name nor the names of anyone we care about that is called out at the reaping.

I, myself was against violence. I'd never really used a weapon, unless you count an axe **(A/N: District seven is the lumber district.)**

There was no way in hell I could win. Not now, not ever.

But I would try. For my mother's sake. I would not go down without a fight. I would die swinging.

But that was only if it happened.

I knew some people had way more entries than me. Dozens.

I knew there were kids whose chances of being reaped were double or even triple my own.

I felt sorry for them.

I cleaned myself up and changed into presentable clothing. We always had to dress up for the reapings. I guess the Capitol wants it's human sacrifices to look nice.

We left the house in silence. We both knew what we were thinking. If I go in, I die. If I don't then I sit here and watch some other poor kid get his throat slit.

We haven't had a whole lot of victors. We've had some but not as many as District one or three or four or any of those districts.  
We were on the bad end of the District list. The poorer end. The Districts where our chances in the Games were so tiny, it takes a microscope to see them. But there are districts worse off. District twelve is the worst I think. Coal mining except there ain't a lot of coal anymore. Cave-ins, explosions, food. Yeah, that place has it worse.

When we arrived, people were already filling the square. I walked to my place in the masses and waited.

The speeches dragged on and then the reaping began.  
The girls were first.

The girls name was Heather Auburn.

I'd never spoken to her. She was a year younger than me. I hadn't spoken to her but I'd seen her before. I felt a stab of sympathy for her. I might not know her but I wished she didn't need to die.

Someone volunteered as tribute. A girl, two years younger than me. Her name was Shay Auburn, Heather's kid sister.

Heather looked panicked but she got off the stage and the younger girl took her place.

Then it was the boys turn.

We all looked afraid. This wasn't a Career district. We didn't want to go in there, we didn't want to die but we would anyway because we didn't have a choice.

The name they called out made my blood run cold.

Or maybe there was no blood.

Maybe my heart had stopped and the blood had stopped running through my veins. Now there's a thought.

Because the name they called was mine.  
Me, little old me was a tribute.

Ever atom of me wanted to scream my head off and run from the square but I knew the Peacekeepers would have stopped me within seconds.

Luckily I managed to retain my dignity. I walked up onto the stage and took my place next to Shay Auburn.

She was a good person. Not many would sacrifice themselves for a sibling. She was a loyal person.  
Maybe she would be my ally.

You know, if I lived long enough to have allies.


	10. District eight reaping

**District eight:**

**Agility "Aggie" Greer**

I woke up that morning and honestly, it didn't feel any different to any other morning.

I was still me, Aggie, I was still trapped in this house, in this family.

My blood trapped me here.

I wished my parents were someone else. I wished they weren't who they were. I wished they weren't Victors.

People have this impression that Victors and their families have it easy. They don't. We might even have it harder than normal people. I would gladly trade everything I have to live in a slum somewhere as long as I had a family that loved me.

But that wasn't going to happen.

The Hunger Games seem to end every year but I'd seen first hand what happens to Victors once the cameras are gone.

They destroy themselves. Some manage to keep it together for a long time, years, sometimes decades. Other's self destruct in a matter of months. I should know, I was raised by them.

I had been told stories about when my parents were good people, honest, caring and trustworthy. Then the guilt had gotten to them.

My father had drunken his way into a nice safe shell where the guilt of the murders he committed couldn't find him.

My mother started cheating, having affairs. Sometimes it'd be days before she came home.

Neither of them could remember my name on a good day, on the bad ones my father had been so drunk, he'd demanded to know who I was and what I was doing in his house.

Friends? Got none. Well not any that are worth mentioning.  
Call me bitter but I don't like people. Had you been brought up the way I was, then you'd hate people too.

I've said all this bad stuff about the Hunger Games when actually, I want in.

Because either I'll win and I can escape my parents forever. Or, I die and I still escape my parents forever.

That's all they were to me, an escape.

I stared at the ceiling of my room and for a second, I contemplated if I would turn out like my parents if I won the Games.

I hoped I wouldn't.

I would never have children. Never bring a child into the world, into this world, this hell.

Because that child might end up just as messed up as me and that I can't deal with.

Next year was my last year of being able to be reaped.

I subconsciously decided something when I was looking into the darkness of my room last night, unable to sleep, I had decided that today, I was going to volunteer. Today I would leave this place and hopefully, I would never return.

I pulled on a dress, a nice one, the silk of it felt nice against my skin, I pulled on some shoes to go with it and headed out the door.

My parents were already at the square, on the stage, waiting.

You know what sucked about this whole thing? My parents would be my mentors for the Games.

What a drag.

The square was already kind of full. People were flooding in.

All those kids were hoping they wouldn't have to go.

The girls didn't need to worry, I was taking that spot. They saw it as a death sentence, I saw it as a chance at freedom.

I guess I'm a little backwards.

I waited and watched in silence. People were scared, they always were. I was, when I was younger but now it was perfect. Me, away from my parents, to either come back and not need them anymore or die and never have to see them again. Perfect.

The girls name was called first and it wasn't mine. I was fuming.

Before the girl could even take her place on the stage, I shouted out that I would be tribute.

Everyone looked horrified, even the girl, my parents looked a little proud, I think they were sober enough to recognise me, vaguely.

As I stood there on the stage I asked myself, is anyone going to care if I die in the Games?

Will anyone?

**District eight:**

**Knox Cole**

"Knox, get up!" Someone yelled.

I opened my eyes and my little sister Collie was standing over me. "Up, now, reaping day." She said before skipping out of my room.

It took me a few minutes to process the four words she'd said, hey, it was pretty damn early.

REAPING DAY!

AHHHHHHH!

I didn't dare scream. I couldn't, I was too terrified. Not the reaping.

Why?

I hated reapings. I hated the Hunger Games, I hate thew Capitol, the president and that stupid accent that everyone in the Capitol has.

They annoy me so much that I want nothing more than to sock them in the nose. See how much they feel like talking then.

We have the reapings pretty early.

I don't know why.

I think it's cus the Capitol wants to watch us all get selected for death live on tv. Yeah, that must be it.

I got up quickly once I got over my whole 'blankets-are-warm-and-outside-is-not' thing.

I pulled on jeans and a nice top.

The girls were way more concerned about how they looked at the reaping. I didn't care. Whether they looked nice or not, it didn't make a different, all it did was stain satins and velvet when they cried.

My sister and parents were already ready to leave. Figures, I like to sleep in, call it a habit.

I mean, if you had to chose, getting up where it's cold or sleeping in where its warm, what would you pick?

I know what I'd pick…

The square was already pretty full. I was running late this year. Oh well, I think considering I'm putting my life on the line I'm entitled to sleep in or run late at least once. That's fair, right?

I watched in shock as a girl, Named Agility Greer, volunteered to go in the place of a girl she didn't even know.

Everyone knew Aggie. Not that many people were friends with her but she was a little bit legendary. Her parents were victors. Both of them.

Why would she volunteer? I mean she's got cash, food, a roof over her head. Why would she risk her life for someone she doesn't know or care about?

Then they called the boys name.

Oh shit, this wasn't happening.

No, no, no, no.

Why did I get outta bed? I shouldn't have gotten outta bed.  
Yep, you guessed it, they called my name.

You know those days where you wished you didn't get outta bed?

Today was one of those days.


	11. District nine reaping

**District nine:**

**Bishop "Bish" Grosvenor**

The first thing I heard in the morning was my younger brother, Reebo, running around the house. That kid had a never ending supply of energy.

I pulled myself out of bed that morning and looked at my reflection in the mirror. It had been seven years and the scars still shocked me. A bear attack when I was ten. I had been out in the woods hunting when it happened. Dad got away with two broken legs, I got a nice cut from the corner of my mouth to my ear, a broken wrist and my vocal cords sliced to pieces. My voice got all messed up after that. Too bad, people told me several times I had a nice voice, before the attack, now they just averted their eyes when they saw me. I think they pitied me. I wasn't really sure and I didn't really care. It's their problem, not mine.

My fingers fiddled with the wolfs claw pendant around my neck. It was a gift from my father.

I know what today is but thinking about it just makes it harder. Reebo isn't old enough yet. I however am nearing the age where I will no longer have to worry about the reaping or the Hunger Games. But as soon as I do, Reebo will be approaching the age and I will have to worry about him.

I pulled on some cargo pants, a long sleeved shirt and my sneakers and headed out of my room. Reebo was running around like the hypo little thing he is.

When he runs past me, I grab him and quickly pull him into a hug.

I point to my chest, where my heart is and then to him. It's the way I tell him I love him. My voice was so damaged in the bear attack that I can't use it much. It hurts when I do and my voice isn't exactly pleasant anymore.

"Love you too, Bish."

He runs off again.

I suck on my tongue stud, it calms me down for some reason. I wonder what Gest is doing right now. Is he as worried about the reaping as I am? He doesn't have as many entries as me. I have twenty six entires.

Six of them because I had to and twenty because we needed the food. When my father got hurt, I became the one who put food on the table and the habit kind of stuck. My dad was never the same after the attack, not to mention the food shortages, so it became necessary for me to take tesserae pretty often. I thought nothing of it now.

We all ate in silence and then started walking to the town square. Reebo hung onto my hand tightly. He doesn't yet understand the Hunger Games. He doesn't understand that when those people leave, they don't come home. We don't get a lot of victors. I mean we have some, but few. Our victors and few and far between.

My father took Reebo when we got to the town square. I took my place in the square. I shot a quick look at Gest, who I had seen standing at the absolute other side of the square. He looks worried. I give him a quick smile and then look at the stage.

There were speeches about Panem and the Capitol and then finally they read out the names.

I was a little in shock.

Well, maybe that's an understatement. I was very shocked.

"Bishop Grosvenor."

For the first time in seven years, I was glad that my voice was gone. Because now I couldn't scream till my lungs burst.

Yes, for the first time, I was glad I couldn't scream.

I wondered if when I was killed in the arena, if I would be able to scream then.

Probably not.

I would die silently, no screams.

I don't know why, but the thought comforted me.

I would not scream.

**District nine:**

**Christian Phoenix**

"CHRISTIAN GET YOUR ASS OUTTA BED!" My twin sister/best friend/personal pain in the ass, Catherine yelled.

"I don't wanna!" I whined.

"I don't care what you want, we have a reaping to get to."

I tensed up and shivered. I hated reapings. I mean, me and Cate were pretty safe. We had only taken one tesserae each and we had four entries by force.

So we had five each. We were pretty safe.

Said twin/best friend/pain in the ass came bounding into my room and jumped onto me bed. "Up. Now." She said.

I wanted to punch her.

She looks a lot like me.

I have messy black hair that never laid down flat and brown eyes.

Cate's hair does as it's told, unlike mine but it's the same colour and we have the same eyes. She's a little shorter than me but we totally pass for twins. Most twins look nothing alike.

"I don't want to go to the reaping."

"You know they'll throw you in jail if you don't get up."

"So, let them throw me in jail!"

She pulled me out of the bed and I hit the hard wood floor painfully.

"I hate you so much." I snarled.

"I know, now get dressed, we're running really late! Honestly, I don't know how Jake and Emily put up with you!" She said, bounding out of the room, much in the fashion she had come in.

Emily and Jake were my best friends. They loved me for my laziness and my seriously perv mind. Cate thinks it's gross and frequently hits me upside the head for it. Which makes me want to punch her even more than usual.

We have such a caring relationship.

I pulled on some black jeans and a shirt along with the first pair of shoes I could find. I nearly fell down the stairs due to the fact that I don't get up this early any other day of the year.

My sister dragged me out the front door with our father following us. Mom died from a sickness when we were kids so…

When we got there, the speeches had already started, meaning we'd missed at least some of them. Good, I hate speeches, they are boring and people continue to make them. It's like they're in denial about their boringness or something. Is boringness even a word? I dunno, I'll have to ask Cate later.

When the time came for the girl's name to be called, I had a small panic attack, because I was worried about Cate. What if she or Emily got reaped?

But instead they called out another girls name. I didn't recognise her name but I did remember her face.

She was that girl. The one who'd survived a bear attack. She had horrible scars on her face and neck and she could barely talk. Her vocal cords had been sliced up during the attack.

I felt bad for her.

I kinda got distracted by the girl when someone called my name. For a moment I thought it was Cate or something.

It took me nearly a full minute for me to realise that my name had just been called in the reaping.

Cate started screaming and she clutched to my arm. "No, Christian, no." She whispered.

"I'm sorry, Cate." I whispered before I took my place on the stage next to the scarred girl. She sent me a look of pity and stared into the crowd.

This sucked.


	12. District Ten Reaping

**District Ten:**

**Jocelyn "Accalia" Bennet**

It would sound kind of morbid if I said that today's reaping was pointless. But sometimes the world is a morbid place. Especially Panem.

In a few hours, the reaping will take place and I will be called onto stage. I will be thrown into the arena and I won't make it out. I know this.

People say that knowledge is sometimes painful. I know this all too well. I wish I didn't know. I wish I had never known. I wish my siblings hadn't known. Maybe then they would still be alive.

I was born the youngest of thirteen children. Yet now there is only me.

The Hunger Games has affected a lot of people. But I don't think anyone can claim that it has taken as much from them as us.

Only one of my twelve siblings died in District ten. My eldest brother. He's been gone so long that all he is now is a hazy memory. That's all most of them are now. Hazy memories. Sometimes I'll think I can remember them. Remember their faces, their skills, the things they said to me. But I can never really be sure. And I don't want to ask my parents. It seems cruel somehow.

I miss being in a house full of life and laughter. It's been almost a year now since the last of my siblings, Andrew died in the Hunger Games.

My family knows things. They have always known things. They know things about the world when it was known as America. Before Panem. Before the Capitol. Before the Games.

And that's why we've been killed off one by one since I was four. Every year since then, my siblings have been reaped and taken from me. And then I had to watch them die and those who killed them be crowned Victor. It was pain beyond belief to see those you love destroyed for entertainment.

I wanted to go out into the woods that morning and hunt like I had with my brothers. But I didn't. I couldn't find the strength. When we were hunting, that's when I got my nickname. Accalia. Or sometimes when we were running, they would call me Tate. But mainly Accalia. No one called me by my real name anymore. Accalia meant She-wolf. Wolves were more friends to me than humans were. I loved wolves. They weren't as bad as people made them out to be. I feel safe with them. There's a pack that lives in the woods outside the district. They are my only friends now.

I walked to the wardrobe in my room. Inside is a purple dress that once belonged to my sister. I barely remember her. All she is now is a hazy memory. But she was beautiful. I knew that. Very beautiful.

I slipped on the dress and braided my hair. As if I didn't look young before, now I looked like a toddler. I knew that I looked way younger than I actually was most of the time but I really was fourteen. Despite that, my name is in the reaping ball twelve times. My hair is curly and brown like my sister's was. But while hers made her look womanly and beautiful, mine just makes me look like a child. I have my father's forest green eyes.

I promise myself I will not cry. I will be strong and graceful when I take the stage today. I will make my parents proud. And this time…

I will come home.

I will be the first of my family to come home from the Capitol. I will not be a piece in their games. Not now and not ever. We have lost too much to them. I will not let them take all of my parents children from them. No one deserves to lose that much.

My mothers voice calls me. Telling me we have to go, the reaping is soon.

All I can think is how quickly the time has passed.

I stare at myself in the mirror and swear I'll stand on this spot again. I will come back.

I walk down the stairs and think of all my regrets. I wish I had gone out into the woods today. I wish I had said goodbye to the wolves today. I wish I wasn't going onto the stage. I wish that soon I wasn't going to fear for my life. I wish my brothers were here teasing me about wearing a dress and I wish my sister was here trying to make the dress fit better or fix my hair. I wish today I wasn't leaving District ten.

Everything moved in a blur. Like it was faster than it should be. Walking to the town square. Waiting through all the speeches. Watching the stupid woman reach into the reaping ball like it was some kind of mystery who was going to be picked. We all knew it would be my name drawn. None of the girls were even worried.

I thought I would be prepared when it happened. But I wasn't. I still froze and panicked and looked for a way out of the crowd. I looked for an escape but there wasn't one. I was trapped. I was going. Leaving. I might not return.

No, I had to return. I had to come back.

When I walked out onto stage, I heard something which made my spirits soar. A wolf howling.

My friends knew and they were saying goodbye and wishing me luck. I smiled.

I would run with the wolves again.

**Jayson "Jay" Hale**

Today was the last reaping I would ever have to face. Next year I wouldn't even have to think about the reaping. I would just stand there, feel bad for the children reaped and then move on. Never having to think about it again. Maybe I would feel something when they died. Maybe.

But the simple thought of the Hunger Games makes me sick. I lost the most precious person in the world to me because of it.

Mally, sweet and kind Mally. My best friend. My sister. She was older than me. I'm not sure by how many years but older. She was fifteen when she was taken. Fifteen when she couldn't protect me anymore. Fifteen when _they _killed her.

Career tributes. They are scum. People who take pride in murdering other people. People who want others deaths to be a show.

That's what they did to her. That's what they did to Mally, my sister.

She was so close. The ninth space. One more death and then came the interviews. I don't know why but if I had have been interviewed, it would have made it more believable. Maybe then I could have believed she was coming home.

But that was when they killed her. It was the most sickening and horrifying thing I had ever seen. Gutting her like an animal, cutting her vocal cords so she couldn't scream.

That was horror enough for a lifetime but no. It seems that I was meant to suffer even more. He won. The one who killed her. He was alive. Still breathing precious air that Mally was not. I watched and waited. Waiting for someone to kill him. But they didn't. He was still breathing.

I swore then that if I ever saw him, I would kill him with my bare hands.  
In some ways, I hope to go to the Capitol for the Games, not because I plan on coming back, because he will be there. He will be a mentor there. He will be within range. He will be there.

I wish I could say I was spending this morning with my family, but I was not. I'm not even at home. I don't have a home. I haven't had one in a long time. My mother died when I was young all because the peacekeepers thought she was someone else. My father became angry, drinking all the time and attacking anyone who came close, Mally protected me from his wrath.

But when she was gone, I had to leave. I didn't have a choice. I would have died. I almost did die. The scar on my back from having a bottle broken on me is a testament to that.

I ran and lived wherever I could, ate whatever I could and survived in anyway I could.

It may not be a glamorous life but I'm still breathing and that's something. I wander towards the district square.

It didn't even occur to me that the reapings had started until the first name was called out. A girl, wavy brown hair and big green eyes took to the stage.

_Is she even old enough to be reaped?_

She looked so young. Was she lying about her age? Or was that just how she appeared? If she was really old enough, she couldn't be very old. Was this her first reaping?

A sick feeling went through my stomach. Being reaped at age twelve, could anything be more horrific? Us older kids, we stood half a chance but someone so young…

All they could do was pray to die quickly and painlessly.

I was too wrapped up in my thoughts to even pay attention to the boy's name being drawn. I should have. It was almost a minute before I realised whose name was being called.

And suddenly, my pity for the girl evaporated and was replaced by pity for myself. I looked at her for a moment. I didn't want to kill her.

But now this was my chance. I didn't care about coming back to the district. All that mattered was that I was going into the Capitol. I was finally going to face Mally's killer.

I couldn't wait.

**Feel free to murder me. Because I deserve it. I should have updated sooner and I am so sorry for not doing so.**

**I am on the search for a beta reader, so if anyone is interested, PM me.**

**And also, for those of you who submitted these tributes, if I have completely destroyed their character/personality, I'm sorry. Feel free to throw things at me.**


	13. District eleven reaping

**District Eleven:**

**Ever Blossom Drey**

I'd been out late last night. Working with May and Daisy. Another jabberjay infestation that they'd had to take care of. I was so tired, my eyelids weighted more than a tonne of bricks. I wasn't sure how I was going to make it through today's reaping.

THE REAPING.

Any and all tiredness had evaporated from my body. The reaping, the reaping…How could I forget? I wasn't worried about myself. No, definitely not. If I went into the Games, I could take care of myself. And there was a damn good chance I _would _be going into the Games. But May…I couldn't stand the thought of seeing her go into the arena. I gave myself a little shake. May wouldn't have to worry about it. If they called May's name, I'd go instead. No questions asked. It didn't matter though…I'm ten times more likely to be chosen. And Daisy…Daisy was twenty times more likely.

I know I should have faith in her and in May but…while I'd never been scared for myself, I was almost always scared for them. I didn't want to see Daisy go. Even though I was certain she could handle the Games herself, even the thought of having to watch her die on that big screen in the district square made my stomach drop like a bag of stones.

I rolled out of bed and felt my hair. A bird's nest. Damn. I hadn't been able to get much sleep and the sleep I had gotten hadn't been very good. It hasn't been an easy week. My grandmother…she's only been dead six days. But I don't really think Granny could have lasted much longer…she was eighty nine at the time.

I looked over at the loose floorboard, underneath it was my bow. Well one of them anyway. I always felt safer knowing it was there.

May was still lying in her bed, snoozing away, safely locked away in her dreams. I envied her a little. Not because I was scared of the reaping….but because I was tired as hell! I just wanted to go back to bed and sleep. Couldn't the reaping be postponed a few hours? Or until tomorrow? Until tomorrow would be great…

"Ever Blossom?"

My eyes wandered over to May's bed. Her eyes were barely open, she looked quite confused. Still in those blissful few moments when you just woke up and you don't know who you are, where you are or what's happening. When you're in that wonderful place that isn't quite awake and isn't quite asleep. I love that place.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to wake ya."

She just rolled over and drifted back to sleep. She was like that. Could just wake up and fall asleep at will. I wish I could. Life would be so much easier if I could. Everyone else was still asleep. Even my parents. Sleeping soundly. But my body was designed to be awake at the same time every day, even if I fell asleep five minutes before that time.

I started rummaging through my wardrobe. I needed something to wear...I had so many dresses but I never really got a chance to wear them…working in the orchard, wearing a dress was just silly. Which was sad…I really wished I could wear some of them.

Though most of them were second hand, I think there was one black dress that was bought new. But like I said, nowhere to wear it.

All dressed and nowhere to go.

I pulled on the black dress, the only thing in my wardrobe that wasn't second hand and fiddled with my inky black hair. It just wouldn't sit right…maybe I should tie it up…

The one thing I'd always liked about my appearance was my eyes…they were just like my mothers. They were seemingly too big for my face, depending on what angle the light hit them, they changed shades of brown and caramel. They made me look so…innocent. I think that's part of why everyone dismisses me so easily. My eyes made me look so young, innocent, unknowing. Perhaps, if things took a turn for the worse today, that would be a blessing instead of the curse I'd always thought of it as.

I fiddled with my favourite necklace, debating about whether or not to put it on. If I _did _end up going, I'd want this to be my token. It was a red blossom in full bloom. It was perfect. I didn't wear it much, working in the orchard it was never really a good idea to wear anything around your neck. It would just get caught on the branches.

I looked in the mirror at my appearance. I looked older…wiser. I smiled at the thought, Ever Blossom the Wise. Has a ring to it, eh?

I looked fearless. Exactly how I felt. I could do this. And I would. I gave myself a cocky smirk and did a little spin. If anyone could do this, it was me.

I wondered if Daisy was up yet. Daisy was my best friend, I'd be lost without her. Not that I'd ever admit that to her. Sometimes I feel bad for Daisy…she works so hard. Her parents have been dead for longer than I can remember. In fact I don't even think I met them. Maybe they died before me and Daisy became friends…but that was a long time ago.

My mind kinda started wandering. I wasn't sure how long I was standing there, staring into my brown eyes. But my daze was broken when someone knocked on the door.

"Ever Blossom? May? You guys up?" A familiar voice, my older brother Ash's voice, called through the door.

"Y-Yeah! We're up!" May mumbled, burying her face into the pillow.

"No, you aren't! Get your lazy ass outta bed right now!"

I snickered at my siblings. This was what I loved about my family, even on a day like today, we were still joking around.

"I dun wanna!" May whined, hugging her pillow tighter like a lifeline. I rolled my eyes at her and pulled the blanket off her bed.

Ten minutes, some wearing, some violence and a broken cup later we were both up and eating breakfast in the kitchen. My mother was running around trying to make my younger siblings, Vine, Strawberry, Beet and Puck eat their breakfast without destroying their nice clothes. Ash and May were still arguing bitterly about him dragging her into the bathroom and dipping her head in a basin of ice cold water. My father…he just sat there shaking his head at the lot of us.

I wonder if the tributes for the other districts have already been selected…How many of them wanted to go? How many of them are terrified out of their wits? How old are they?

"Ever Blossom, you ready?" Vine asked, tugging on the hem of my dress.

"Ready?" I questioned, my mind had been wandering all the way to District one.

"To leave for the Reaping." I just nodded and let her drag me along by my hand.

I had always loved the outdoors in District eleven. There was no way any district was more beautiful. There were huge trees everywhere and bushes, plants, vines. It was like one big farm, or at least what I'd seen of it. Dirt paths instead of roads. There was something really homey about the District. Maybe because it was the only home I'd ever known, I wasn't really sure. But I'd spent many hours pondering what the world outside District eleven was like. And not just what the rest of Panem was like. What the rest of the world outside was like. I mean, in the history books they talk about countries other than whatever the hell Panem used to be called. So there had to be other places out there, other people.

"Oi! I've called your name a million times, where the hell is your head at?" And all of a sudden my head wasn't in far off places that had no name. Instead I was in Panem, in the District Square of District Eleven staring into the chocolate brown eyes of Daisy Fields.

"Daisy, have you ever thought about what's outside Panem?"

"Um…water?" She offered with a shrug. "I dunno. Thinking about that kinda stuff doesn't put food on the table so…not really."

That was Daisy for you. Anything that didn't pertain to me or feeding her family honestly didn't interest her. Not even in the slightest.

My mind was wandering again. I really was quite curious. And it was a nice thought to think that somewhere out there was a nice safe place where people didn't die for entertainment, where watching a teenager slit another's throat wasn't considered prime time television.

I wasn't paying attention. I probably should have been but I wasn't. Because when the name 'Daisy Fields' was called through the speakers all around the Square, it scared the holy hell out of me. Which was new for me. Fear wasn't something I was accustomed to nor was it something I intended to have to deal with.

But I was scared. Terrified. Because Daisy was walking away from me and towards the stage. I grabbed her hand and tried to pull her back. No, no, no, NO! They couldn't take Daisy! People here needed her! And I wouldn't, no I couldn't, watch her die.

Her hand slipped from mine and I watched helplessly as she took to the stage. But then an idea ran through my mind, a crazy idea, something so stupid and reckless that only I would do it.

"I VOLUNTEER!"

…It's moments like these when I think to myself; maybe being so fearless is not a good thing.

Too late now.

Bring it on.

**James Austin Mocking**

It was…warm. Wherever I was sleeping. Which was strange. But upon reaching out, I realised it wasn't so much _where _I was sleeping as it was that Cass was sleeping next to me. I thought about poking her and waking her up but I wasn't _that _much of a jerk. Okay, maybe I was. To other people. Not Cass.

It was the reaping today…hm.

I didn't care. Going in the Hunger Games was actually something I wanted. If I didn't get chosen this year…next year I might volunteer. I was worried for Cass though…she wouldn't be able to handle something like that. Violence wasn't her thing. Unless she was hitting me over the head for doing something she deemed stupid.

We were lying under a tree in an orchard. Cass liked sleeping in the orchards. Free food. But only if you could actually get in. In District eleven, there was nowhere with tighter security. But sometimes, when we were really lucky we managed to get into one. I'm not sure how many nights Cass managed to get into an orchard when I wasn't there. Maybe it was easier when it was just her…

It was late morning…getting close to lunch. But that was what was so great about Reaping Day. No one would be coming in today to work. It was safe for the moment. And we could steal as much food as we wanted. At least until we had to sprint to the District Square because we were running late. Like we had done every year since we became friends.

I felt something on my cheek, not realising Cass had woken up and poked me. "Jam, you awake there?"

I smirked at her, rolling my eyes dramatically. "Of course I am. My eyes are open aren't they?"

"Reaping today, isn't it?"

I just nodded. We'd both taken plenty of tesserae. I think I had about ten. But I couldn't be sure anymore. I stopped counting after the second time I took one. Cass had taken a few less than me I think. Which was good. Like I said, she wasn't violent.

"How late is it?"

"Pretty late. We'll have to go soon."

She stood up with a groan and dusted off her clothes before she jumped up and grabbed one of the branches of the tree we'd slept under, wiggling around until some apples fell off. In District eleven, stealing crops was punishable by death. But I was good at thieving. It was my job. And it was just plain fun when I got to steal from the Capitol. I hated them. I hated peacekeepers too. They'd taken too much from me. And some things are unforgivable.

I picked an apple off the ground and rubbed it on my shirt. "You ready?"

"Yeah…thanks for staying out here with me last night." She said with a smile.

"Course. What are friends for?" I replied, taking a bite of my apple.

Despite the fact that I did have a house, not a very nice one but a house none the less, I spent a large amount of time sleeping outside. I think Cass likes the stars. And last night she'd wanted to sleep in _this _particular orchard. I've never been able to say no to Cassie. She's my best friend.

"C'mon…we gotta get moving." I said, grabbing her hand and half dragging her towards the fence. I jumped over then helped her over.

She gave me a grateful smile and handed me another apple that she'd been carrying. "I wonder who'll be reaped this year." Cassie was an incredibly caring person. But she had never been afraid to speak her mind. "I hope it isn't anyone too young…"

She'd told me before how much she hated seeing people be reaped. But it was always so much worse when it was someone young. Twelve or thirteen year olds. They always looked so terrified and lost…It was horrifying. Last year a twelve year old girl had been reaped. Cass cried and I had to grab her and cover her mouth to stop her from volunteering for the girl. It sounds selfish but I wasn't going to lose Cass, not even for that poor little girl

I needed her. More than I'd ever admit.

We arrived late to the reaping, in time to see a pretty girl in a black dress volunteer for another girl. There was this moment as they passed each other on the stairs to the stage, they were friends. And now they were going to be torn apart.

And if I could see it, Cassie could too.

Cass looked sad. Really sad. I wanted to comfort her and I was planning on it but then…

"James Austin Mocking."

I blinked, not entirely sure what had just happened.

They had called _my _name. I had just been reaped. Most kids would be horrified but…I was fighting back a grin. Not for my sake, but for Cass's. She looked absolutely horrified. Even though she knew I wanted this.

For a second, I felt painfully guilty but…

I was going to the Capitol. I was going to get my revenge.

I was going to win.

**I'm back. And I promise I am never going to be gone for this long again.**

**I would like everyone who is still bothering to read this story to go and thank Mocking James because if he hadn't messaged me about this, I probably wouldn't have put this chapter up. **

**Xoxo**


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